ZAPPELLI, Stephen Ronald
| Service Number: | VX146490 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 September 1943 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Beech Forest, Victoria, Australia, 12 August 1925 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Beech Forest State School |
| Occupation: | Tram driver |
| Died: | Colac, Victoria, Australia, 18 March 1997, aged 71 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Privately Cremated Ashes scattered in the sea |
| Memorials: | Yeodene & Gerangamete Honour Roll |
World War 2 Service
| 21 Sep 1943: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX146490 | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX146490 |
Notes on Stephen Zappelli
Aged 18 Stephen enlisted in the Army in 1943. For some time he was stationed at Dubbo and then served in New Guinea from Dec 1944 until Oct 1945, when he was shipped out after contracting Cerebral Malaria.
He re-joined his unit in January 1946.
Private Zappelli volunteered for the occupational forces in Japan after the second atomic bomb was dropped there and Japan surrendered. His Battalion landed at Kure in Japan, and he was stunned by the damage caused by the two bombs and sent many pictures home.
After returning to Melbourne in September 1946, he suffered another bout of Cerebral Malaria and was not expected to live; however he survived and spent several weeks at a rehabilitation centre [source: Colac Family History].
Submitted 1 August 2025 by Ian Fox
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